Founding Teachers
Daryl Lynn (she, her) lives and transmits the Buddhist teachings from the heart with a sensitivity to the unique path of each person. She has been teaching meditation for over 30 years and is grateful to have long-time teachers and mentors from several Buddhist lineages and also within mystical Christian practice. Daryl is currently engaging in Jewish kabbalistic studies, reconnecting to her religious roots. For 22 years as a University Chaplain at Concordia University in Montreal she offered meditation practices and spiritual leadership. Co-founder and guiding teacher for TNI since 2003, Daryl teaches local groups and intensive courses, mentors and counsels in personal meetings and offers a wide range of retreats. In recent years she has completed two programs in contemplative end-of-life accompaniment, and is available to offer spiritual guidance for this important time in one’s life. Daryl is known for her clear, gentle, compassionate engagement which is both accessible and profound.
Listen to one of Daryl's talks: Development of Meditative Awareness
Watch Daryl's videos: True North Insight YouTube Channel
Pascal Auclair (on sabbatical)
Pascal (he, him) is a TNI Guiding Teacher. He has been immersed in the dharma since 1997. He leads retreats in Europe and North America, often at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. A co-founder of TNI, he enjoys sharing the Buddha's teachings with all curious people. (more info and schedule)
Listen to one of Pascal's talks: Self-worth, Selfing, Forgiveness, Wisdom & Compassion
Watch one of Pascal's videos: But Now it Can Be Otherwise
Guiding Teachers
A Guiding Teacher is one of the leaders of the organization. They have multiple years of practice, retreats, and teaching experience, have received transmission from senior Buddhist teacher(s), and are able to offer transmission to others.
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, a member of the True North Guiding Teacher Council, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She teaches retreats across North America has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
Roxanne Dault teaches meditation in Canada, USA and in France. She has been dedicated to this path for almost two decades, sitting on long retreats both in Asia and in the West. A Guiding Teacher at True North Insight, Roxanne teaches in a variety of environments including in a graduate program at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), in corporate settings and in incarcerated and other marginalized populations. Her teachings take root mainly from the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw. She is trained in Somatic Experiencing®, a body-mind approach aimed at relieving the symptoms of trauma and stress. She speaks French, English and is learning her ancestors’ language, Anishinaabemowin. Learn more at roxannedault.ca.
Jill Davey (they/them)
Since my first meditation retreat in 2008, I have been devoted to the study of the dhamma, the practice of Vipassana (Insight Meditation), and sharing this understanding with others. I have deep respect and gratitude for the traditional mentorship and invitation to teach offered by my teachers Molly Swan and Norman Feldman. I am particularly interested in connecting the relevance of these ancient teachings of awareness, wisdom and kindness to daily life experience. I support practitioners with courses, weekly meditations, residential retreats and 1:1 meetings. I bring my years of experience as a Community Worker and End-of-Life Doula to my teaching and am actively committed to the ongoing dismantling of internalized and systemic oppressions.
Jean Esther, MSW
Beginning her formal training in meditation in 1975, Jean has trained in the Buddhist Theravadan tradition with renowned senior lay teachers as well as Burmese and Western Monastics since 1982. Over a number of years, Jean has engaged in intensive teacher training in both Vipassana practice and non-dual awareness. Her teaching is also informed by over 40 years of practice as a psychotherapist, focusing on the healing of trauma through an embodied somatic approach. She trained for over 20 years in Jungian psychology with Jungian analyst Marion Woodman. Respecting all of life through a social justice understanding informs her life and her teaching. Jean teaches at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, USA, Insight Meditation Community of Western MA, USA as well as various other locations across the US and Canada. Jean has served on the Guiding Teachers Council of True North Insight since 2015.
Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich
Muriel (she/her) has practiced Buddhist meditation since 2006, and has attended more than thirty silent meditation retreats, including a six-week retreat. She has completed seven years of Buddhist studies, and has been mentored by Pascal Auclair and Daryl Lynn Ross at True North Insight. Muriel teaches in hospitals, schools, corporations, and other urban settings, helping practitioners bring mindfulness into the fabric of daily life. She brings a warm, gentle presence to her teaching, and is committed to sharing the Dharma through her work with True North Insight. Muriel is a first-generation Egyptian- Lebanese-Armenian-Canadian, from a family directly affected by the Armenian Genocide. She holds an MFA in Visual Arts from Concordia University, and maintains an active multidisciplinary practice spanning painting, sound, and archival work.
Kate Johnson is a Buddhist meditation teacher, author, and utterly unprofessional dancer. Trained in the Western Insight/ Theravada lineage, with roots in the Thai Forest tradition, Kate is a member of the Stewarding Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she leads residential retreats and co-teaches the Community Dharma Leaders Program (CDL). Currently, she also serves as Executive Director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, an organization that offers skill building and spiritual support for peacemakers, grounded in Buddhist ethics and collective care.
Kate loves integrating spiritual practice, community and creativity in all her work. She holds a BFA in Dance from the Ailey School/Fordham University, an MA in Performance Studies from NYU, and is currently engaged in the Buddhist Chaplaincy Training at Upaya Zen Center. Kate is the author of the book Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World, and the mother of a five year old pop star, who is one of her greatest teachers yet.
Tara Mulay teaches and mentors dharma practitioners during retreat and in daily life practice. She was trained and authorized by the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and serves as a Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Tara's journey into dharma practice began during her 20-year career as a criminal defense attorney. Her teachings are rooted in the Mahasi Sayadaw lineage, enriched by influences from other Theravadan and Early Buddhist traditions.
Of South Asian heritage, Tara was initially drawn to dharma practice by the Buddha’s teachings rejecting caste as a measure of worth and capacity for awakening. She believes that classical Buddhist practices—fostering compassion, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion—are powerful tools for empowering marginalized communities.
Of South Asian heritage, Tara was initially drawn to dharma practice by the Buddha’s teachings rejecting caste as a measure of worth and capacity for awakening. She believes that classical Buddhist practices—fostering compassion, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion—are powerful tools for empowering marginalized communities.